Dan started learning the ins and outs of the fabrication industry as a shop apprentice almost 20 years ago. Over the course of his career, he has gained expertise in everything it takes to run a turnkey design, architectural, and scenic business.
For ten years prior to founding Downtown FabWorks, Dan oversaw fabrication at a leading national entertainment company, including 50+ people in the shop and $8M+ project budgets. He is most passionate about assembling, developing, and sustaining a talented team of creators who produce unique solutions, are the best at what they do, and participate in a company culture that is accepting of all people.
Kyle started building a career in entertainment production—mainly theatre, film and television, and corporate and live events—after being exposed to the technical side of theatre through his middle school drama department. His enthusiasm for the custom fabrication industry and its future is infectious! Kyle likes to unwind by playing retro video games and shooting pool with his local bar league.
Before joining our team, Alyssa worked as a project manager in construction for nearly a decade. That career history, coupled with a BFA in 2D Design, taught her how to be detail-oriented without losing site of the final goal. In her free time, Alyssa likes roller-skating, going to the gym, and spending time with her pets. She also participates in a Great British Bake Off fantasy league.
Ashley is a native New Orleanian who has been with the company since shortly after its inception. She earned her MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of New Orleans. Ashley's background is in the retail industry, and when she's not busy keeping us all in line, she loves going shopping and spending time with her family.
Brittney joined the Downtown FabWorks team in 2023, but her foray into metalworking started decades ago while helping her grandfather fix broken farm equipment as a child. She was especially drawn to the idea of using scrap material to build and restructure. After becoming a professional metalworker in 2021, she began her career at Ingalls Shipyard in Mississippi. Brittney considers the safety systems on the Tulane Diboll Parking Garage and the grand spiral staircase at Bucktown Bird's Nest Learning Pavilion to be some of her best work at Downtown FabWorks.
Evan has a sculpting background and has professionally exhibited some of his work at his alma mater. He enjoys creative research through the production and study of portraits and figurative pieces composed of metal, wood, and clay. A natural custom fabricator, Evan has been the Install Lead on projects such as the Tulane Diboll Parking Garage safety update and the Bucktown Bird's Nest Learning Pavilion.
Jason has a history of success in guiding teams towards the achievement of fabrication project deadlines while sustaining, and frequently improving upon, high quality standards. He was foreman for four years at a leading national entertainment company before he became our Operations Lead. Jason's love for thematic architectural and scenic fabrication and installation has intensified over the years. A few of his favorite projects with Downtown FabWorks have been work for Caesars Superdome, the National WWII Museum and Memorial, the Ashley Home Brand Activation at Super Bowl LVIII, Luna Fete New Orleans, and Bucktown Bird's Nest Learning Pavilion. Jason stays inspired outside of work by traveling the world. He likes to unwind by playing darts and Call of Duty.
Jeanne is a native Louisianan who has experience working with live events consultancies and destination management companies.Jeanne taps into her creative background to bring brands to life. Her favorite part of an event is a grand entrance moment for photo opportunities like the ones she coordinated for our Kelce Premiere, Ashley House, and Essence Festival projects.Jeanne appreciates getting outside in her free time. She is especially fond of hiking through the forest with her pack of dogs.
Over the last 25 years, Robin has developed a unique skillset and served in a wide variety of roles relating to artistic and specialized fabrication. He has been a prop-maker, lead scenic, lead finisher, sculptor, fine artist, and project manager in the movie and television industries, as well as for public, museum, and architectural installations. He is also an accomplished fine artist with paintings in public and private collections throughout the United States.
Mattie's range is as diverse as his skill set. He has managed everything from local projects, including public art sculptures for Prospect NOLA and bar/restaurant build outs in the New Orleans area, to regional and national projects, such as the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience and Planet Word, a museum project in Washington D.C. Mattie has a background in photography and enjoys integrating it with his fabrication experience by creating art pieces. He also builds furniture and collaborates with other artists.
Nathan's career has taken him all over the world to stages as big as Radio City Music Hall and as small as a New Orleans front porch. He has worked with dance and theatre companies, visual artists, corporations, and rockstars! In his spare time, he enjoys gaming and can often be found turning small pieces of metal into smaller pieces of jewelry.
Nick's breadth of experience features carpentry, lighting and sound design, videography, cinematography, and technical direction, which he has applied at venues such as American Repertory Theatre and Boston Center for Artistic Performance. Nick enjoys studying musical theory, reading, working on his truck, and playing board games with friends. He built a robot out of spare parts, ate the City Diner Pancake by himself in one sitting, has a dog he is proud of raising, and gets to live life with the woman of his dreams. He has a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre from Boston University.
Prior to taking on leadership of the Downtown FabWorks Millwork Department, Pat grew his career by never turning down a chance to learn. He has worked on everything from custom art fabrication to set building, and is an accomplished foam sculptor who has created elements for film and television shows, public art projects, and immersive events. He has grown to fame for his performance as a giant mutant insect named RAID, in Choke Hole, a New Orleans-based drag wrestling show that has become a hit with international fans. When he's not working or wrestling, Pat enjoys spending time with his family.
Shag's background and continued successes demonstrate the resourcefulness, creativity, and professionalism he embodies in the shop. He's a renaissance man who acquired a commercial driver's license during the recent global pandemic and drove a truck for a year, toured with a circus, and worked at Burning Man. On top of all of this, Shag is also a talented chef who, as he puts it, retired after spending "too many years in the service industry cooking your meals." Luckily, he continues to cook for his family and friends, or we'd all starve. He is devoted to his partner and her pets, and his spare time he enjoys making music. His metal band recently released their third album.
